Super Bowl 2012: The Importance of the Patriots and Giants' Running Games

In Super Bowl XLVI, the New England Patriots and New York Giants are expected to be in a pass-happy shootout between Tom Brady and Eli Manning.

After all, it's a realistic expectation since neither team was able to defend the pass all season long. That said, each rushing offense will be vitally important to this Super Bowl as it is every other game.

So, here's a look at each franchise's ground game and why it must produce on Super Sunday.

Patriots Rush Offense

Using an array of running backs throughout the regular season and each with distinct niche strengths, New England shared the rock between BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead and Stevan Ridley in 2011.

As for the postseason though, Ridley only saw action against Denver as he lost a fumble in that game which cost him playing time against Baltimore a week later. In the Super Bowl however, all three will be needed to keep the Giants stout front seven honest.

For one, we know that New York is going to bring pressure with the front four so the linebackers can simply read then react. Well, the use of three running backs will create different matchups depending on the situation.

Green-Ellis is more the power back, Woodhead as the zone-read and quick tosses while Ridley is more of a third-down/utility man.

Here, New England must prove that it can run the ball at will with Green-Ellis in the first half to decrease the pressure on Brady in the passing game. In turn, that will also create running lanes for Woodhead as the Giants won't expect the run with him in the backfield.

Additionally, Woodhead is a great receiving option for Brady to beat any linebacker in single coverage. Setting up the running game between the tackles with Green-Ellis then on the edge with Woodhead will set up the passing game even more, plus keep New England balanced.

Where this also helps is in pass protection because you know the Giants will bring the pain and having reliable pass-blocking backs only allows Brady more time to shred New York's weak pass defense.

If anything, the Patriots need to attack the aggressiveness of Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul on the ground. This will wear each guy down and force them to react to the run which slows down their pass rush.

Giants Rush Offense

Although the Giants finished with the NFL's worst rushing offense in the 2011 regular season, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have done some solid work in the postseason.

Both are virtually exact opposites of one another since Jacobs is more power and Bradshaw is more dynamic.

However, each pits as a respectable receiving threat versus a single linebacker and can hit the hole quick between the tackles. The edge rushing game isn't their forte so expect New England to bring heat up the middle.

What that allows for is not only making runs bounce outside, but in passing plays it prevents either back from getting open over the middle.

So, before the Giants can revert to slicing between the tackles, Eli Manning is going to try and blaze Bill Belichick's vulnerable pass defense early and often.

Only then can the Giants set up the run later on and possibly take over the game while running out the clock. Their rush offense is good enough to win late but not keep New England off balance early.

What favors this approach also is that New England's pass rush, although effective, won't be much of a factor in the second half as Eli's offensive line and the running backs sit to protect him. The Patriots would eventually wear themselves down and that's when slamming the trenches takes over.

The last thing New York needs is to get shut down early because of an improved Patriots run defense and then forced to pass in the second half. No matter how susceptible a defense may be, if you know what's coming it's easier to stop.

John Rozum on Twitter.